Journey to the West
by spoonybutts
Summary: Sasuke returns and Sai leaves on a journey of self discovery. Into the land of great forests, samurai, and things unexpected. Sai-centric. Ghibli/Naruto mix.


**Disclaimer:** Guess who doesn't own Naruto? This chump! This chump doesn't own any works referenced from Studio Ghibli, either.

**Author's Notes:** I went through a bit of a hipster brat phase when I was younger. So I denounced Naruto, swore never to watch it again, and here I am up to my ass and then some in Naruto feelings and fanart (shitty as my art is whoops). I've grown to ADORE Sai, and I've been in a bit of a Ghibli fix as of late so I'm coughing this out. As Sai is my favorite character I tend to whore him out. I do this a lot with favorites, like Super Junior's Kyuhyun, DBSK's Yunho, etc. I'm pretty shameless. So you'll have a lot of hints regarding my favorite pairings including a lot of my preferred Sai friendships. Enjoy!

* * *

Sasuke was back. He had returned with Naruto and Sakura, his face bloodied and bruises and his arm most definitely broken. But he was smiling despite his gruesome injuries, the deep slashes across his face even more pronounced with his crooked grin. Naruto had his (mostly) unharmed arm around his best friend and he, too, was bloodied and torn. But he smiled like the sun. And there was Sakura to the side, her pink hair matted with dark blood and clothing looking rather threadbare. Her eyes were rimmed with red, glittering in the dawn and her teeth gleamed like pearls in her broad smile. Team 7 was reunited – their legend already spreading, truth and fiction coming together to form their tale as great as the gods. The village was cheering, however broken she may be and Sai smiled. His footfalls were silent in the following din and noisy cries and it was Sasuke who turned to look at him. Coal black eyes met coal black eyes, Sasuke's smile softened and Sai's became honest.

"I'm glad they're happy. Don't mess up again or Dickless might have a heart attack."

"I won't. I promise," Sasuke became tense at his comment, the smile faltering but his eyes clear. Naruto and Sakura pulled him over, their arms around his neck, and proceeded to tug him over to Ichiraku Ramen –unharmed; a welcome sight from the chaos and destruction on the battlefield.

The restaurant was too small to house all of them – older jounin and young chuunin and scampering genin – but no one seemed to care. They scattered amongst the area, sitting on upturned rocks and smooth benches as Teuchi announced ramen would be on the house all around. Refugees were sobbing in joy and relief, the kages gathered looking exhausted but blissful. Gaara, still so young, took an offered swig of Tsunade's favorite sake. Happiness was everywhere as the sun rose and Sai roosted on the branches of a sturdy tree, his hand moving across paper and brush wet and black. The rustle of leaves told him someone had joined him and when he glanced to his side there was Ino. She was pretty even when her lip was busted and her pretty skin bruised black and blue.

"This is your version of joining in on the fun, huh?" there was a steaming bowl set on her lap, the steam rising in evanescent swirls. She snapped a pair of chopsticks apart and did not wait for his answer, slurping the ramen with a satisfied and muffled moan.

"You know," Ino began again, smacking her lips, "It's pretty strange. We've always lived with some sort of tension. Since first 'cause of that dummy Naruto and the big fox sealed in him, then Orochimaru, _then_ the Akatsuki _and_ Sasuke! I mean, it's going to be so bizarre just living normally."

"We're ninja. And with Dickless things are never normal," Sai said matter-of-factly. Ino threw her head back and laughed; hearty and loud and oh so unladylike. She clicked her chopsticks together, bringing hot noodles out of its broth and lifting it. The chopsticks turned towards him and Sai, surprised and touched (he couldn't explain the warm feeling in his chest very well), gave a small chuckle and lowered his head to eat.

###

Normalcy, in ninja terms, was certainly strange. Danzo was gone and saying that still sent a strange shiver down Sai's spine. He was no longer trapped; the seal on his tongue long gone and Danzo's cold eyes a mere memory. Konoha was being rebuilt to her blinding beauty, energy her radiance and life her beauty. People from all over came to help. The young boy named Inari was particularly adept with a hammer and grew incredibly attached to Yamato, nearly glued to his hip as Yamato performed incredible feats with his wood jutsus. Sai walked, drew, walked some more, and puttered with bags and bright cloth when Ino forced him out of his own home to take him shopping.

But it was still odd. Sai felt like he was teetering on a precipice – felt as if a simple breeze would be enough to send him tumbling over the edge. What was he? What did he live for? He began as a pawn for Danzo, then a sort of Sasuke replacement no matter how many times Naruto insisted he was 'Sai, and Sai is a friend'. Because Sasuke had returned and his arm was healed and he was smiling more, he was apologizing in any way he could to everyone he had hurt, and Sasuke was always with Naruto and Sakura. They invited Sasuke, they invited Ino, they invited Shikamaru (and in turn Temari whenever she rolled along over to the village), they invited everyone and sometimes they forgot to invite Sai. When they did Sai was given a greeting, a grin, a too rough but well meaning pat and then he watched as the three interacted. It seemed natural how they bickered, Naruto's raunchy teasing and Sakura's expected punch to the face as Sasuke sat or stood and watched with a snort.

Sai did not know what to do in a village full of dreamers.

Sai dreamt of blackness. Sai dreamt of Danzo slipping an arm out of his haori and revealing a gruesome monster behind thick bandages. Sai dreamt of lost things, too. Like his brother with pale hair and eyes glittering as bright as stars. Like a man with thick black hair and a woman with reddish gold hair cut short and feathered. They were laughing, turned away from Sai and always looking towards a small bundle in her arms. Sai felt a pang of longing and Sai always awoke, no matter what, sweating and clammy and cold. The sheets would be tangled around his pasty pale legs, beads of sweat pooling around his collarbone and sliding down familiar muscles. Sometimes Ino would visit and she would note the veins pulsing in his temple, the new bags around his eyes on nights like these. Sometimes she brought Chouji and he, too, looked worried and insisted that he cook for Sai. The steam from hot pot dishes brought a flush to Sai's cheek and he would smile as Ino and Chouji squabbled as only couples did. They left and Sai would become pale as rice paper and sit on his bed and he would stare at nothing and simply wonder.

"You look like shit," Kiba commented offhandedly. It was a rare day Sai came out of his apartment now, thinner than usual and so dazed that even Akamaru – who usually sniffed him and wagged his tail and nothing more – nudged him with a whine. The hound wormed his way underneath Sai's arm and Sai felt thick luxurious fur beneath his fingers.

"Kiba," Hinata said gently. Sai gave her a blank smile as thanks. Docile as Hinata was her faint reprimands always put Kiba down a notch. Beginning her relationship with Naruto seemed to make her even lovelier. She wore a dress splashed with flowers, fishnets at her toned thighs, and kunai hanging off her long legs. Sai wanted to paint her but could not find the energy to ask. Instead he gave Akamaru a rather distracted pat on the neck.

It was another day in bustling Konoha. Ino was out on a rather simple mission with Chouji today. Easy to the point that she called it an 'out-and-about' date. Sai felt strange without her presence. Sakura was off bonding with Sasuke and Naruto all the time so Ino had Sai. She saw a bit of Sakura in there, a determination hidden beneath layers of painted expressions. Ino once said she wanted to protect him because, in so many ways, Sai was still like a child. Sai had cocked his head at her but he had said nothing and Ino pushed another bag into his laden arms. Ino kissed his cheek in a way Sai could not explain to anyone. Not to Kakashi who spoiled him (according to Ino, of course). And not to Yamato who Ino insisted that also spoiled Sai. Hinata was another good friend. She was not as open as Ino but she would touch his arm and Sai felt an unfamiliar pang.

"You don't look well at all. Should we take you to see someone? Even Shino said you weren't looking well and he…he doesn't pay much attention to anyone," Hinata was concerned and Kiba was too though he hid it behind a disinterested whistle. Dogs reflected their masters and Akamaru huffed, rubbing his massive head against Sai's hip.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry," Sai left and Akamaru barked after him, a growl gurgling in his throat. Hinata exchanged looks with Kiba as Sai was swallowed by the crowd.

Rock Lee had started inviting him out for exercise. The bushy browed spandex beast was kind, exuberant, and expressed his concern over Sai's health by bringing his trusted teacher Gai into the mess. They thought training was a cure for his lack of youthful energy. Shikamaru stared at him long and hard over the shogi board at the Nara household until Temari, arriving with tea and dango, kicked him and told him staring was rude. Sai decided her liked Temari. She was gruff but not unkind, intelligent, and seemed at least somewhat well versed in the arts thanks to her "annoying and troublesome" brothers. When she said troublesome Shikamaru would smirk and sip tea to hide it.

"You need to eat more," Temari would wave a dango in front of his face and Sai would eat one, sometimes two and that was it. They would walk around town together sometimes, kicking up leaves and dirt. A few times Gaara was there and regarded him silently before forcing some treats from his home into his arms. For Naruto, Gaara would say, but Naruto had all the food he could ever need as long as Teuchi kept his restaurant open. Other times Kankurou was there and he would let Sai wipe off his makeup and apply new designs, wriggling his nose when the fine brush ventured too close there. Then he would take Sai's wrists and complain at how thin they were, locked too easily in his hands.

Concern made Sai feel a strange tug in his chest, an emotional gut punch that left him confused and dazed. Neji Hyuuga, a surprising but close companion, took him to meditate in the forest. Sai's eyes had fluttered close, lashes tickling his cheeks and he breathed. Neji noticed and Neji remained quiet. When the sun had set Neji had grabbed Sai by the arm, shaking it gently.

"You're confused. You need to think somewhere far from here," Sai opened his mouth to protest but Neji spoke over him, "Don't say you're okay. Tenten says she rarely sees you outside anymore. And Lee's getting worried since you seem to be losing muscle mass."

Sai was silent then. Minutes ticked into hours, hours had rolled into days, and days had turned into 7 months since the war ended and Sasuke returned to the leaf. Sai went on missions and finished them with lightning fast quickness. Sai went out but not much since Ino was getting busier and busier. He ate enough to keep him moving. Sai did not feel depressed or angry or anything. He felt unsettled and took long hours out of the day to stare at the ceiling or stare out his window, the scroll 'friends' hanging neatly beneath it. He did not see much of Naruto and Sakura anymore. They were getting bigger missions as Sasuke went to join ANBU and make alterations to Root. Sasuke consulted him many times. Sasuke invited him over to the Uchiha estate, pushing plates of sweetmeats and cups of tea towards Sai. Sasuke gave him searching looks and gave a small sigh whenever Sai waved to leave, many one item on his plate eaten and a few sips of tea downed.

"I've heard things about a nation far from here. It's a mysterious place with no ninja, only samurai. Go there – go to the west. I think it might be good for you." There came a gentle squeeze around his wrist and then a rush of cool night air. Neji strode ahead of him, needing no answer. He saw the glint in Sai's eyes. The grass rustled and Neji smiled, turning to see nothing. Sai, agile still, had dashed and flashed away.

###

The words had stuck with him and Sai had no idea why. But he packed his things and put on his gear. Deft hands knotted his forehead protector around his head, the flak jacket brushed against the bared skin of his belly. The moon was round today and its silvery glow allowed Sai to see his village dyed a luminous white. Light hovered around his skin, too, the shafts of moon spilling over milky skin. He glowed like a bizarre nightlight and he stepped out his window and into the chilly night. The village gates were unguarded and Sai stopped by fresh painted beams supporting the high arch of the entrance. He had no idea where he was going but west. No landmarks from Neji, no hints at where this mysterious place began and ended. Sai was completely okay with this. One foot left the village, then the other.

"Going somewhere?"

"Ino."

Her arms were crossed when he turned to smile bleakly. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and her robes were thin, fluttering almost pathetically in a gust of wind. Bright red hung at her shoulders. The robe was as bright as blood, made of some sort of rich fabric but still not enough for the night. That was Chouji's robe, there to provide not so substantial warmth. Ino's sandals made dull imprints into the dirt as she drew near. Her arms shifted, moving into a pose frightfully similar to the formidable Yoshino Nara. Ino's knuckles rested at her shapely hips and Sai took a step back, hands held up defensively.

"You're such a dummy! I don't know what sort of teenage crisis you're going through to be leaving but…but…" she struggled, face pinched as she tried to think of some sort of surly sentence, "Just take this! Be careful. And you better write to us. We're all worried. Kakashi-sensei keeps sighing while he's reading those awful smut books and Yamato-san is really upset that you aren't keeping yourself healthy! Don't even get me started on Hinata! Then Naruto's noticed and you know how _dense_ he is! Sakura wants to force feed you."

Ino shoved a rucksack into his arms. It had rested by her feet before and she had kicked it forward in her rage. Sai smiled and bowed and bent down to brush his lips over her cheek as a sort of reassurance, "I'll be fine, Miss Beautiful."

"Don't try to be cute with me, Sai." Her frown grew and Sai's eyes closed as his smile grew wider. Her turned again, feeling the wind wash over him as welcome as a cold kiss to his skin. One heartbeat, then two and then he jumped into the thicket of trees.

Ino watched him leave and stayed until the rustling was dull and gone. Her hands were clasped at the sash of her robe. A tongue, pink and glistening, darted out and wet her lips. Ino sighed, twiddled her thumbs and turned to head home, "Do you think he'll be okay?"

Sasuke emerged from the shadows wearing an expression most unreadable. Not knowing what to say he nodded and Ino walked. The world was calling out and who was Sai to deny her beckoning? Sasuke wondered, briefly, if Sai would ever return. Would he die? Or would he be so changed and so enraptured he would never leave the foreign land? He would sleep on this. Sasuke exhaled softly and as he turned his breath melded with the wind.

###

Rushing rivers soaked his pants. He could've jumped across but no, Sai felt the urge to tromp through it – bag raised above his head to keep the food good and letters from Ino dry and legible for another day. The air in the forest was fresh and crisp. Sai saw many things over mountainous terrain and wide sloping hills. The sun would rise and set over sharp angles in the distance, mist hanging like diaphanous silk over the ground. Sai had cut through villages with cheery farmers and robust wives. Soon the ninja faded and the towns were long gone. And again the thatched roofs returned but there were no ninja basking in the light or throwing kunai at targets. Rice paddies and tea gardens became his new subjects in his art. Passing samurai, shockingly friendly and some extremely bashful, filled his pages with swords glinting in the sun and polished armor.

"Lord Asano used to own these lands you know," one samurai with pale skin and dark brown hair smiled down at Sai who was nestled amongst the greenery and rock with a bowl to his lips, "Centuries ago. My own ancestors were subject to his wrath. Or they were until Lady Eboshi came along. She was a right fine woman – Hey, you don't eat a lot, do you?"

Sai gave a sheepish shrug and a small smile, tipping his bowl towards the samurai's (his name was Kohaku, Sai learned) fluffy dog. The dog lapped up the rice and dried fish meat, chewing noisily as he shook his thick fur out. Kohaku chuckled, sitting down so that he was across from Sai. Behind them women and men and some children busied themselves over rice paddies. Charcoal moved over coarse country paper but Sai didn't mind. The old woman at the last village was very kind and she had given him a new black shirt as well as paper, quite disapproving of his usual midriff wear.

"Lady Eboshi was great, even after she had her arm bitten off. I came from the village she made! Iron Town," a dreamy, longing look came to Kohaku's open features then, "I've always wanted to meet her. One of these days I think I'll settle down and go home. It's been so long. You should go there, just keep heading west. Iron Town is beautiful, you know. A big 'ole diamond in this country. I can't say it can compare to your fancy ninja homes, though."

"Iron Town…" the syllables rolled off Sai's tongue. He quite liked the name and he repeated it under his breath, the words fluttering like motes of light in the air, "Yes. I think I'll visit."

"Say hi to my ma and pa for me! Won't be hard to tell. I look like my mother, but I got my dad's nose. Her name's Toko and he's Kaoru!" Kohaku smiled, stood, and bade Sai a farewell. His dog followed faithfully after giving Sai a liberal number of licks to his cheek, his mouth, and his hands. Sai grinned after them and soon he stood and left, tucking his bowl away and hefting the rucksack properly over his shoulders.

The journey was long. Through winding paths of green, over more high mountain passes where he could see tea terraces stretching like green dragons, and through more rivers than Sai thought possible on one journey. His limbs ached whenever hunkered down to rest in caves, beneath leaves, or in offered houses from smiling grannies or robust young men and their cheerful wives. Arms screamed in protest, thighs burned, and he was usually out of breath. But he looked into the clear reflection of a water filled basin and saw himself – his eyes nearing some sort of light of knowledge, the muscle returning to his frame, and his skin darkening into something almost normal like Chouji's. What Neji had spoken of, Sai was sure he was close to finding. When he checked a calendar in the house of an ex-ninja turned Good Samaritan in a tea terrace village Sai discovered he had gone for nearly six months now. The shock was mild, spreading like jolts of electricity through his veins. He pulled out a sheaf of paper and let his ink fly; the gentle scrape of goat hair across rough paper calmed his heart. His pulse fluttered like an excited bird – six months! And he had still been writing Ino, the ink birds taking flight.

"Impressive," that came from the sand ninja, Goro, from across the living room. A candle flickered despite the electric light hanging idly off the ceiling. More romance, Goro had laughed earlier. Sai had smiled at that, watching Goro kiss his wife and giggle like a little boy. Sai's wren tested its wings, one beat, then two, and it was off, "Very life like."

There was a rough hand ruffling his hair and Goro was gone, taking his unique earth and fire jutsus with him. Sai slept and awoke early, painting cheerful rabbits with sticks and frogs with drums for the village children to play with. Goro handed him a bento and Sai was on his way.

###

Iron Town was in the distance. Sai could feel it as the wind lifted his hair, now grown longer at his neck and fringe falling messier over his ragged forehead protector. The river lulled his heart, thundering with the exertion from his fierce hiking, into a steadier beat. He kneeled, scooping clear water into his hand to take quick sips. He was nearing his target. No, that wasn't right. He was getting closer to his…goal. An old woman named Yuko had told him vague interpretations for feelings and laughed bawdily when Sai pointed out her confusing words. According to her emotions _were_ confusion itself. They were layers and layers of pure feeling melding together, the nuances of one to distinguish from the other. Sai had left her home with rice she insisted on and many questions left unanswered. But he was sure the feeling now was 'nervousness' or maybe 'excitement'. His hands were certainly clammy, his heartbeat hastening again, and his breath quick. But he did not feel the cold of dread so he assumed the warm feeling in his gut was excitement.

"This route seems more efficient," and Sai cut through thickets of green and began to weave through strong trees. The sounds of the river muted almost immediately and beams of dappled light struck Sai's cheeks, his clothes. The smell of earth was strong here and he heard the most curious rattling noises whenever the wind stopped moving the leafy canopy above him.

Was this what Neji was speaking of? Sai's heart was calm here and he drew as he walked – ink spattering over his fingers and cheeks. This place could only be called divine. Flowers brushed against his knees and his ankles, birds chirruped high above him. Another rattle, this time right by his ear and Sai started violently. But there was only a small human like figure at his shoulder with an oblong head, vague black eyes, and a small grin. It gazed at him benignly and its head shifted like an owls before snapping back into place with a musical rattle. What was the world Ino liked to use? Oh yes, cute. This little creature was quite cute and was quite absorbed in Sai's art. The breeze ruffled his pages and Sai smiled when more little men phased into view. Some of them sat on his sketchpad and others followed behind him like little chicks.

"This is a wonderful home you all have. Can you show me the way to Iron Town? I promise to come and draw you, afterward," a brave little man with a perfectly round head took the lead, skipping before Sai with a confirming rattle. It was surprisingly sturdy, tripping in its own eagerness over thick vines but rising back with a jump much like Rock Lee. Perhaps the spandex beast was a distant relative to these creatures. Sai wouldn't doubt it.

This tranquil forest was not without its exertions. Sai climbed higher and higher after the new eruption of little men, some of them carrying leafs and scribbling on them with burnt pieces of charcoal. They were drawing and Sai felt a real smile bubble and burst forth. Sweat was starting to trickle down his neck and slick strands of hair stuck to his face in a most uncomfortable way.

"Are you getting me lost, moon head?"

The little man's reaction was to rattle and that triggered a thousand echoes from all around them. A strange noise escaped Sai and it took him a moment to realize it was a laugh. A very small pathetic little laugh but an expression of humor nonetheless. And it was _honest_!

"Oh, so you're allowing me to rest," Sai's words were strangled as he tried to catch his bearing, "What a strange place." Darkness seemed to fall here but the leaves on the trees glittered as emeralds did and the island far off in the lake nearly glowed. The little men were scattering, some sitting on gnarled roots to bow their heads over their leaf drawings and some were wandering off into the lake to play.

The rucksack made a dull crunching noise against the grass when Sai dropped it. He sifted through its contents as the creatures scampered to his sketchpad, resting in a cluster of flowers. The bowl Ino had given him was a Yamanaka design with the bright blooms painted against the dark purple. Sai ran his thumb over the smooth rim, thoughtful, and made the short trek to the lake. The grass was dewy and gleaming, casting dark wet patches against his knees when he knelt down. The water was cool when he submerged it and he was entranced by the droplets when he raised the bowl again. They fell like diamonds, glittering. He swirled the water, dropped it, and repeated it twice before he was satisfied with the water. His parched mouth welcomed the crisp water greedily and he slurped half of it in one shot. The faint rattling of the oblong men was becoming welcome and familiar and Sai set his bowl down, lying back in the grass. His chest rose and fell in familiar swells, the little men were settling against his arms and had their hands clasped lazily over on their laps. They relaxed and Sai relaxed, letting sleep overcome him.

He might have been dreaming at some point, but he could've sworn a muzzle nudged him. This muzzle was much larger than Kiba's beloved hound. Teeth scraped his jaw, damp breath met the flesh of his neck and Sai murmured something and fell back asleep. Danzo would've skinned him alive if he were still in the plane of the living. Naruto had rubbed off on him a bit too much…

Sai awoke to the moon headed creature splayed across his forehead, napping. Sai was silent for a moment then gave another chuckle – tentative and gentle as if his own voice would break – and carefully lifted him off his head and onto the grass. He was so light and so warm, like his brother's hand in those brief moments when they were away from training and away from prying eyes. Shin had held his hand and squeezed with a grin that could only be called dazzling to a little Sai. The moon headed man stirred and bolted up in another very Rock Lee like fashion, only Rock Lee wasn't the size of Sai's hand and completely white. Another rattle and the man was doing circuits around Sai as he rose and collected his things. He followed the small creature, munching on a rice ball all the while as thick trees made way for clear sky and the smell of fire and ash.

"Iron Town at last," Sai bowed to the little men lingering by the edge of the forest and was thoroughly amused by how they imitated him, heads clicking and turning all the while. Iron Town was nestled amongst the mountains and the trees. There were stumps but also saplings of all sizes from across the lake. Sai eyed the water and gave a faint hum, the familiar heat of chakra pulsing through his veins and to his feet. The first step was sure, the next slow, and then he was strolling on the water.

"Look at that guy!"

"Whoa! I've never seen anything like it!"

"Is he a demon?"

"It's one of those ninja. Remember the Goro guy that came here?"

"Ooh, he was so handsome…"

There were large gates almost like Konoha's before this bustling town. People were watching from high ladders and walkways, through slats in the wood, or from outside where men and women alike carried in goods like sacks of rice or flour. Young women and girls alike tittered at the sight of him, pink searing their cheeks. Men commiserated the fact that the girls were making this man their new target. And the older members were off to fetch the town heads. To greet this mysterious guest with dirt streaked cheeks. Sai stepped onto compact dirt and bowed, extending his hand as he rose.

"I'm Sai," his smile was in place, teetering between fake and real because – he was so _close_ to finding things now but shit was it hard to give up the past, "From a ninja village very far away."

It was a tall bald man with a curled goatee who took his head first, "Goku. Welcome to Iron Town, Sai. You here for anything important?" The man's brow was raised, his tone vaguely suspicious at Sai's not-so-honest smile.

"I'm here to see the sights and figure a few things out. Nothing more, I swear," Sai held back on the urge to call this man 'turnip head'. Ino had taught him a few things on the dos and don'ts of first meetings. Goku sniffed but his shoulders relaxed and he gestured for Sai to follow.

Iron Town was much like Konoha but in so many ways different. No leaping ninjas or giant hounds. Nor any pink hair or blonde. Everybody here had a good natured face and well muscled body from work. A woman and her husband lingered near the entrance to the bellows and Sai was quick to recognize Kohaku's almost aristocratic features from the woman and the upturned nose from the man. He mouthed a quick 'Kohaku sends his regards' and their pressed lips turned into great beaming grins.

"Tell that boy of mine to visit home if you see him again!"

"I will, I will."

Goku was leading him up a flight of ivy covered stairs to a beautiful and grand looking estate. The guards nodded to Goku and gave Sai a warning look but opened the doors for him, anyway. The scent of incense hit Sai hard and he wrinkled his nose as the doors closed behind him. The room was all scarlet and warm woods and golden fires from the torches. Five figures sat before him and only two looked alike. Two brothers with thick black hair – one cut short and parted down the middle, the other with long hair tied lazily with a trailing red ribbon. A woman was there with painted lips and the longest blonde hair Sai had ever seen, neatly split in half down her back. There was a man with luscious lips in crimson and a woman's coat over his bright clothing. He was prettier than Sakura, honestly, with his blue black hair and bright eyes that regarded him haughtily. The last stranger was a man with a missing arm and scars running up and down his bared chest.

"This is rare. A guest? I haven't seen a headband like that in ages," the effeminate man looked amused, bringing a lacquer pipe to his lips, "Goro has one like that, but the design is different. And you're quite handsome. You're more my type."

"Akihiro," the blonde chastised, but her tone was light and teasing, "What brings you here? Girls were making quite a fuss when they came to announce you're arrival over the water here." Akihiro spoke of silk and smoky rooms with wine, this one spoke of palaces and glittering stars.

Sai knelt to the floor and on the raised dais they seemed even more like leaders than Tsunade. They regarded him with the same airy look of curiosity and he bowed his head, "I am merely coming here to see with these eyes to uncover a truth. I don't know what question I even have, but everything might become clearer here."

The blonde raised a thin brow as Akihiro gave a purring rumble of laughter, "Well doesn't this sound familiar? Brother, shall one of us give him a tour of our village?" She tipped her head delicately towards the twin brothers of night hair, "Daizaemon, Takashi, do you trust him?" Sai liked this woman, she was very graceful and she had authority like Temari.

"I personally find him quite nice to look at. Don't you, Kei?" Akihiro's playful look was close to that Anko woman's but touched with Kakashi's cat like laziness. Sai decided he could trust him, just not in anything like a hot spring.

The scarred man gave a loud booming laugh, "I'd like him better if he had more meat on his bones. Poor little guy looks like a wind could blow him away." Sai's immediate thought was the strangest mixture of Chouji and Naruto.

The long haired twin laughed, high and beautiful, "He doesn't mean any harm, I think. I've seen that mark before. Words of your war travel to even here, little one. The village of the leaf, what do you know! Takashi, your thoughts? I want to but maybe Kaguya would be a good tour guide."

The final brother with a middle parting gave a crooked Sasuke like grin. "Kaguya. We can have our time talking to our guest later." This man, Takashi, could only be described as regal. Kaguya was the aristocrat and Takashi was the emperor with an all-knowing grin and lines around golden eagle like eyes. Sai had once seen a photo of Itachi Uchiha. He was handsome and intelligent with a gentle grin. This man looked like him and Sai felt as if Sasuke would enjoy his company immensely.

The blonde stood, striding towards Sai with her head held high and golden hair rippling. She was smiling warmly, pipe balanced between deft and slender fingers, "Let's go. Goku, go take the night off. Akihiro can handle the accounts for today." The turnip head sputtered and nodded and Sai followed the trail of Kaguya's fluttering cloak.

She was explaining this and that of the village here and Sai painted as she spoke. When she got to the tale of the Night Walker he listened and stilled his hand despite himself. "Centuries ago Prince Ashitaka came to this village after a cursed boar god laid its vengeance on his right arm. He had to cut his hair and leave the Eboshi tribe. He rode on a beautiful red elk named Yakul and came here to find the source of his curse and see with eyes unclouded by hate. Our first ancestor, Lady Eboshi, was industrious and beautiful. But she ripped the land apart. The wolf god, Moro, was her bitter enemy and her daughter the Princess Mononoke swore to kill her mother's enemy herself…"

When Sai imagined this he thought of a handsome young man with shaggy hair firing arrows and tumbling through the green. The Night Walker was a staggering god in his mind's eye and the destruction it had caused in its wake was stunning. But in the end the forest spirit lived in the earth beneath them and he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the pulsing beat of chakra through the dirt. Kaguya turned to him, silent. There was a comfortable, pregnant silence between them underneath the setting sun. Beyond the high walkways the lake glittered gold and blood red.

"You say you are a descendant of Lady Eboshi. And you're engaged to Ashitaka and San's descendant Haru? How ironic," they both laughed: he a low chuckle that he was still testing and hers a low musical bell, "You don't look a thing like Daizaemon and Takashi, though. You showed me the painting; they have a stunning resemblance to Lady Eboshi."

Kaguya laughed again, louder this time, "Yes, yes, I know. Didn't I tell you the Eboshi clan buys brothel women? I was going to be one of them. When I was still a servant Daizaemon bought me from my master and here I am. I need no blood relation to be their sister. They raised me when my parents threw me away to the house of Oda. They are my family and they are my friends." Sai's silence made her smile and she took his wrist, "Come. Kei probably has a grand feast for the whole town tonight. His meals are simply to die for."

Friends…Family…So the line was thin after all.

###

The meal was sumptuous, as Kaguya promised. Akihiro and Daizaemon hung over Sai's shoulders, trying to offer him hard liquor from far into the northeast. They called it Shaoxing wine and Sai did not need Kaguya or Takashi's help to refuse it. When all was over he thanked them, promised to return in the morning, and left for the forest. The little men ('kodama', an amused Takashi had corrected him) were waiting for him – leading him back into the island area where he had slept earlier. Sai settled on the grass, digging through his rucksack for the blanket Ino had packed him. It was worn now, covered in ink stains from when he had written hasty messages before succumbing to the numbing depths of sleep. He was patient now, describing in luscious detail all he had experienced today. From Akihiro's brief and sloppy kiss that tasted of alcohol and tobacco to Kei's heavy but friendly slaps on the back. Daizaemon and Takashi were not water and fire twins, but more earth and water. The earth could not thrive without water and water was filled with the earth and her goodness. For all Takashi's seriousness and Daizaemon's womanizer attitude they joked together, smiled, and both took nine shots of sake before they were completely inebriated.

"Kaguya would put almost any woman to shame with her beauty. But her singing…" Sai ended the long letter with a painted flower and his name. The kodama watched in awe as the words came together to form a bird with heavy plumage and a long feathered tail. It looked around imperiously and soared away.

The rucksack became his pillow, tucked beneath large leaves. Sai rested his head with a content sigh, the blanket fluttering in the air before settling against his body. Crickets sang and a cicada gave a keening whine. Sai shut his eyes and he was asleep.

"I haven't smelled anything like you, boy."

"I am Sai, not boy," dark eyes snapped open and Sai was met with a thick white muzzle and rows of clean teeth, They were also quite sharp, "What are you?"

The wolf backed away with a deep laugh. It was one of two, apparently, for his brother lingered on his haunches watching Sai with a look most unreadable. If not for the kodama hanging off its fur and riding on its head Sai might've felt a bit threatened. Still, the teeth near such a close proximity to his neck drew his hand towards his tanto. The wolf before him was no fool and he was not young and inattentive. It gave another laugh as its brother snorted.

"What are you? I'll just call you Thing 1 and Thing 2 if you don't respond," Sai's blunt cheek was met with a dangerous chuckle from the brother to the side. A muzzle met his arm and he slid a hand over smooth fur automatically, "Surely you can't be the sons of Moro I've heard about."

"We are. And what are you? A human puppet? I am Sora and he," the wolf enjoying Sai's absent petting jut his nose towards his brother, "Is Riku. You are a puppet." Not a question this time, but a statement.

"How am I a puppet?" Sai's hand clenched on silky fur and Sora gave a rumbling laugh that shook Sai to the bones, "I have limbs and ligaments and blood. I am quite human."

"Your eyes show me nothing. What is your purpose? What is it you want, boy?" still just boy to Riku and Sora. Sai's teeth ground together and Sora dropped to his side, his paws easily the size of Sai's face, "Ah, I see irritation though you don't realize it. Did someone make you this way? He is gone now, the forest tells us so."

"I don't have a purpose," Sai admitted and Riku padded forward with a harsh laugh, "I'm trying to figure it out myself. You two aren't helping."

"Are we, now? Listen boy. A purpose will not make itself clear. Live on and you will see it. If you don't you merely confirm our thoughts. A meager little human puppet," Riku nudged Sai's head, surprisingly gentle for his tone and his size, "Sleep. See what the days bring. We will watch you. It's been a while since we've been around someone as young as you. Our sister's descendents are scattered far and wide now." Sora slipped from beneath Sai's arm and the twin wolves leaped into the forest, leaving Sai breathing hard and irritated. The kodama rattled and he turned onto his side and tried to sleep as fire screamed in his blood and roared in his ears and he didn't understand why. They are dogs, he said, they are dogs making pseudo-philosophical questions to annoy him and it was working.

Sai tried to push away the reminder that they are gods. Maybe 600 or 700 years old and they knew humans well enough to question their psyche like Yamato always dreamed to do for Sai. Yamato was too gentle and it takes the cruelty of centuries to tug a response from a life of solitude.

###

There was something about farming. There was something about Iron Town, really. Sai felt one with a community as he had never felt before, raising the hoe above his head and bringing it down into the good earth. This perfect symphony of movement, metal meeting dirt, the singing of the bellow women in the distance made him feel as one with everything. There was dirt across his cheek, dirt across the shirt he had borrowed from Akihiro. He had been here for two months now and the villagers liked him, Akihiro spoiled him rotten. Every night he ventured into the woods, his words sharp like daggers being thrown at the twin wolf gods. And they tossed back flaming swords, teeth flashing as they laughed in harmony.

Sai still had no reason. They still called him puppet boy.

"This is a great life, kid," Kaoru mopped his brow of sweat, grinning, "You're pretty good at this. Maybe you should stay here?" Kaoru laughed and Sai smiled, inclining his head lightly, "This is what I live for."

"This?" Sai's childlike response had Kaoru reaching over to ruffle his hair with streaked hands, laughing in a manner that could only be jolly and warm.

"This!" Kaoru repeated grandly, "Waking up to see my friends, my beautiful little flower Toko. I live each day to the fullest with my loved ones. That's reason enough for me to exist!" with his trusty hoe he gestured to the boundless forest spreading over the distance, throwing an arm around Sai's aching shoulders, "The world is full of wonders. Life's full of great people to meet! I may just be a silly farmer but I know how to live it up good."

Kaoru ruffled Sai's hair once more, leaving the teen there in deep contemplation while he chose a furrow to drive his hoe through. Coal black eyes sought the land around him. Ruddy faced farmers, strong women, happy children playing with his ink drawings and he felt familiar warmth well up in his chest. Just like when he had finished his picture book. Kaguya and Kei were joining the farmers soon enough, the two waving to Sai amiably before setting out to work. This togetherness, Ino's kisses peppered on his cheeks, Chouji's careful cooking, Sasuke's invitations and the forests, the mountains, the sand. Sai knew he was getting closer. Just one more step.

###

Something very strange happened that night. Aside from a wild moment in the bathhouse where Akihiro had tried to touch him more than need be as he scrubbed his back. A good man, Akihiro, though Takashi did not approve of this humor. Sai, with damp hair, fell asleep beneath the same bunch of leaves with his blanket over him. The dew dripped from the leaf, sliding down past his head, plopping onto his wet hair, and finally one crystal drop landed on his face as he snoozed. He was dreaming of black then of being submerged in water, the warmth so familiar. A mouth kissed his cheek and he saw flashes of things long gone. A woman with wild black hair almost emerald, her cheeks painted and shell earrings rattling at her every movement; a young man with snarls of brown hair riding a graceful red elk; a lady with painted lips clutching her bleeding shoulder; and a black oozy creature falling towards one point on the vast land dyed decay. Suddenly green and growing trees and a lone kodama looking on as San and Ashitaka parted ways.

An image of the reddish gold woman and her husband.

"…Mother? …Father?"

Her hair was short, falling in a layered fury around her pale face. She had his eyes – coal black – and they glowed as she held a bundle in her arms. The man was tall with black hair lifting lightly in the breeze. He had blue eyes like the sea, a green earring flashing in the spring light. Sai watched from afar. He drank them up, this man with his facial structure, this woman with his eyes and his dainty nose. They gazed at each other, this man and this woman, and kissed before looking adoringly at the baby that was Sai in his duckling blanket. Sai could see his own fists escape the cotton confines, pink and chubby and waving. He watched his own hands, transfixed. Hands like his father with rounded blunt nails like his mother. He was tanner now but only just reaching the healthy fairness of his lovely red gold mother.

"Hauru, isn't he gorgeous?"

"Just like you, Shigeko."

They laughed and they kissed again and Sai could see Konoha in the distance. Did they live there? Were they ninja? Were they visiting? Sai wanted to say something, to hold them, to talk to them and tell them about his life. He had seen Ino commiserate to her father and mother, how they would comfort her. Looking at these beautiful people Sai felt a rush of longing. He wanted Shin here; he wanted Hauru and Shigeko here. The image changed and Sai's gaze was red rimmed as he was placed into a dark forest. This was too real, too much. Blood made the air smell of iron and when Sai looked down the moon illuminated his mother and father – kunai scattered around them and in them. His mouth went dry as Hauru wept for a still Shigeko, vital red slipping from the gash at his stomach. He would not live long and Sai despaired.

"Civilians?" a younger Danzo stepped right through Sai. Here Sai was the phantom; unseen. Danzo gave the couple a long and hard stare, his gaze not softening at all when his eye zeroed in on the red bundle. The blanket was once blue and Danzo, Sai knew, jumped to a conclusion, "Is that child alive?"

"Yes. Yes. Please take him. Please save our son," Hauru kissed his child and Sai imagined the lingering warmth before death arrived. Sai's face was warm and when he touched his cheeks he felt tears, "You must live, do you hear me, my son? We love you so much. Live. Live. Live. Be happy. We are always with you. Live…" Hauru cried out as Danzo swept Sai from his arms and soon Hauru was still.

Sai was crying in earnest now, teeth digging into his bottom lip as twin streams poured out. His skin was blotchy and red. The scene faded and he stood in darkness, wiping his tears clumsily. More memories appeared, pouring from the dam of his heart. There was a brief scene of Shigeko kissing him all over the face, a bear hat over his head and Hauru cooed to the side; Ino kissing his cheeks with loud and noisy 'mwah' sounds to accompany it; Hinata admiring how he had dyed her newest dress; Shikamaru flat on his back beside Sai, pointing out cloud formations with a cigarette smoking at his lips; Kankurou trying to force kabuki paint onto Sai's face, chuckling; Gaara listening intently to Sai as he explained how babies were made properly before a red faced Temari entered the room; Kakashi pulling him into a lazy one armed hug – memory upon memory. Sai watched in silence, the flow of tears slowing and he blinked in the dream and awoke in reality.

"I live for mother and father. I live for the friends who raised me. I live for…I am…" Sai raised a fist into the air, breathless and teary, "I am Sai." And he felt the pleasure of having a name, of existing.

"You are Sai," twin voices did not startle Sai but Riku lowering his head to present a scroll did, "Of the wolf tribe. Of Konoha." They watched Sai sign his name in blood.

The two wolves threw their heads back and howled. Sai watched and he felt a warm touch of lips against his cheeks. One rough and one smooth as silk.

###

"Come and visit us soon. Bring your ninja friends if they work as well as you do in the fields," Kaguya smiled and kissed Sai's cheek at the village gate. Her hands, rough but slim, lingered at his shoulders, "Your eyes show me how much you've grown. We're proud of you, Sai. You're family here. You're always welcome."

Goku was sobbing with Kei, their arms over each other's shoulders for support. Many of the young women were pouting, Toko was forcing food into Sai's arms, Haru looked proud, and Akihiro was kissing Sai – smirking against his lips, "Your first and second kiss, no? Be careful who you let steal your third. They have to pass my mighty judgment."

The twins of the village stared at the twin wolves in the distance. They bowed and the wolves lowered their heads, Sora panting noisily in the hot sun. Sai waved and said his farewells before turning to leave. Iron Town clamored behind him, wishing him well and shouting advice as he broke into a brisk run. In one smooth leap he was on Sora's back, heels digging into the wolf's sides as a signal to go. It shouldn't take more than a month to return to Konoha the twins said, maybe two but no more than three. Sai had taken detour after detour, after all. He had been gone for nearly a year. He was a newer man. His skin was normal, his eyes more like Sasuke's – clear and chastened, and when he smiled it was real and it beamed like sunlight across the sky. Sora was speeding along the plains with Riku at his heels. Sai was now 18 years old and this was the first day of his life.

###

"We will come and go," Riku and Sora nuzzled Sai and stayed at a distance as he took steps towards home. Two months and five days and Sai was home, his forehead protector gleaming bright and proud. He had polished it last night, taken a long bath at a nearby village, and allowed a fussy mother in the room next to his at the hotel cut his hair. His bangs were longer, true, but now no annoying strands tickled the back of his neck. His clothes were ragged like a beggar's but he would have to make due. At least they were washed.

The gates were the same, the fresh coat of paint a year ago already dull and scratched from a genin's poor kunai practice. The din was familiar, the smell of ramen strong and vaguely nauseating. He was home. Sai took one step through the gate, then two. There was Ino, arm curled around Chouji's. Her hair was longer, her body filled out even more and her outfit casual in a purple spring dress. Chouji had become slightly thinner, his wild hair tamed and shorter. Sai stared and they stared. Sai smiled and Ino gave a loud cry, running for him and throwing slender arms around his neck. People were gathering, there was Gaara giving a very small and rather shy smile and there was Yamato beaming as Sai's arms wrapped around Ino's slim frame. She was shocked and began to cry, calling him stupid for worrying her (never mind his frequent letters home).

"I'm home. Thank you all. For everything," the concept of a group hug was new to Sai but he welcomed it. He could feel the swell of Hinata's chest against his ribs, Sakura's playful but painful punch before she joined in the embrace, Naruto's thick voiced insistence that he wasn't crying. Sai was with family.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Sai may be my favorite, but I still struggle with his personality (or lack thereof) quite a bit. I tuned down his blunt rudeness, sorry. This was a complete whim to write and I used a lot of other references like 'The Good Earth' and shit haha. I might write a series of oneshots, Sai centric, with everything I ship platonic and romantically. If anybody here reads Homestuck I'll explain my favorite relationships as such.

MOIRAILS: Sai and Ino and Sai with Hinata, definitely. Ino and Sakura are still best friends, of course, but Moirails take friendship to a higher level. Ino's a motherly person towards Sai and Sai feels relatively comfortable with Ino giving him mommy kisses. Hinata expresses a similar behavior in my head canon but is more of a supportive sister type. Sai is good friends with Neji and Neji is his go-to now for when he has problems. Or Shikamaru! Temari treats Sai much like she treats Gaara and is pretty exasperated a lot of the time. Gaara and Sai have cute interactions since they're both hella oblivious.

MATESPRITS: Behold my shipping! As I said before I am shameless with Sai. So he's the bottom bitch to Kiba, Kakashi, Yamato, Sasuke, Yamato, Kankurou and Itachi (they have super cute dynamics in my head oh my god). Ino and Chouji are gold, Sakura and Lee are the destructive couple, and Naruto and Hinata are pretty much canon. I hope to write fanfics around these couples soon! All oneshots because I'm awful when it comes to chaptered fics. Kakashi acts as both a moirail and matesprit due to his personality. It's a bit like the Gamzee and Karkat relationship (since I ship it). Borderline redrom depending on the path taken. A better example would be P3P, depending on protag's response Akihiko can be your biffle or your boyfriend!

OTHER: So much Ghibli. Moro's sons aren't given names in the movie and I read one translation of Moro is "all; everything". In lieu of that I took the "all" of this world which is land and sky and boom we have Sora and Riku. Riku is the more pedantic brother while Sora is a bit more of an idiot. He's the one who suggests they eat Yakul in the film. Sai's parents are Howl and Sophie, though Sophie draws her appearance from the novel version and I call her Shigeko. It fits since Howl loves beauty and when Sai paints it's beautiful, Sophie is known for her hats which is art in a sense so we have Sai!

In a lighter hearted fic I might add some Totoro and The Cat Returns. I just really love the Baron. I wanted to add the idea of friends being family after seeing a gif set on Tumblr about Teen Titans. The fact that Eboshi bought women from brothels to fuel the community "family" and help them also spurred on my ideas. I wasn't quite sure if Eboshi was her first name or last so the new leaders are simply of the Eboshi clan. Kohaku and Toko are derivatives from the film's Toki and Kohroku, it seemed fun to alternate the names.


End file.
